Anabolic steroids use may lead to a weakened immune system
Serious new side effects to the use of performance-enhancing drugs have been recently discovered by a research team from Southern Cross University in Australia.
The study, led by Dr. Robert Weatherby revealed that even low doses of anabolic steroids could still leave the body susceptible to viral infections and cancer.
The study employed mutli-national volunteers who underwent a specific training regime under an Olympic coach. They were divided into two groups with one group given injectable steroids (testosterone enanthate) and the other given placebo injections.
The study was then completed after six weeks, after which, several tests were administered to determine any physiological changes that happened during the course of the study. Studies showed a decrease in the number of natural killer cells in patients given injected with anabolic steroids. It resulted to as much as 20% over the six-week period.
Natural killer (NK) cells are a type of white blood cells that primarily functions to reject tumors and virus-infected cells. These natural killer cells targets these harmful cells by releasing small granules of protein called perforin and granzyme to initiate self-destruction within tumors and viruses.
Aside from this detrimental effect, anabolic steroids were also found to cause personality changes like mood swings, decreased empathy and sense of responsibility.
According to The Medical News:
The SCU study, led by Dr Robert Weatherby, has revealed that the use of anabolic steroids may significantly increase susceptibility to viral infections and cancers and raises questions about the dangers of long-term use of the banned substances.
